João Barrento

João Barrento is a Portuguese literary scholar, translator, essayist, and poet born in 1942 in Lisbon. He is one of the most important literary translators in the Portuguese-speaking world, responsible for introducing major German-language writers — including Walter Benjamin, Bertolt Brecht, and Paul Celan — to Portuguese readers. His translations are considered definitive. Barrento is a professor emeritus of German literature and has published widely on literary theory, European modernism, and the practice of translation. His critical work on Walter Benjamin is recognized internationally, and his Portuguese translations of Benjamin's writings have shaped how Benjamin is read in the Lusophone world. He has also published several collections of poetry and essayistic prose, including O Século de Labyrinthus (2004) and A Memória do Fogo (2010). His own writing is marked by a philosophical depth and a lyrical precision shaped by decades of engagement with German literary culture. He received the Prémio Camões in 2023, recognizing his lifetime achievement as translator, critic, and poet. The prize honored his role as a bridge between Portuguese and European literary cultures and his extraordinary contribution to the richness of the Portuguese literary tradition.